Safe and Sound
by Kakashi's bodyguard
Summary: The life of a ninja is definitely a rough road to go down. At age Fifteen Moriko Kinzoku lost her left hand on a mission with team Gai. Now, at age seventeen, it's an insecurity she can't overcome. Though now she is able to use a metal hand thanks to her clans abilities. Will she confess her feelings for Neji? This story is from my old account (Guardian of the Nine Realms.)
1. Chapter 1

1

A/N: This story came from my old account (Guardian of the nine realms) But I moved it here to get my stories together.

I only own Moriko Kinzoku.

A/N: This idea just came to me. Hope you like it.

Safe and sound

Losing your left hand at age Fifteen was not something you would expect from such a young ninja. It's even worse for a girl. Especially when it was in front of the one you admire most.

Moriko Kinzoku is a girl with black hair down to her mid back and silver eyes.

The Kinzoku clan was spread out many years ago much like the Uzamaki clan. If a Kinzoku clan member is not a ninja, they are usually a Black smith, creating weapons for their village. They are known for pulling metal straight out of the palm of their hands that can change into weapons as they pull the metal out. They also have metal fingernails that can extend as a last line of defense.

Moriko uses this ability to be able to form a fully functioning metal hand from the nub that was where her hand once was. It was her father that had helped develop the metal hand. Though it does use chakra. It did take a year to develop the jutsu as it would be called. The idea of not having a hand made her insecure.

It is only her, Katsuo her brother, and their parents in the leaf village out of her whole clan. But then again she had never met anyone else from her clan.

She stood in the heat of her fathers black smithing shop. She was hammering a metal bar to forge a sword. She wiped the sweat from her brow.

She was a ninja. But now having a metal hand that replaced her original, a scar on the side of her left eye that is about two inches, and a mental scar of the event and her whole team seeing it. She stopped being a ninja when she got out of the hospital.

She was a part of team Gai. Same age as Neji, Tenten, and Lee. It had been two years since she had gave up on being a ninja.

It has been a week since Naruto came back with Jiraya.

She is now seventeen.

She heard the bell ring up front indicating that someone has came in the shop.

"Hey Tenten! Hey guys! Moriko's in the back. You can go back there if you want." She heard her father say.

Moriko took in a sigh and let it out.

She stopped hammering to set her tools down and to pull off her left leather glove.

She looked at her metal hand.

'Why did this have to happen to me?' She wondered in her head.

She heard footsteps approaching as she put her glove back on and continued hammering.

When the door opened she immediately heard Lee.

"Moriko! We have came to see you! And to also take you to have lunch with us today!" Lee said in an excited tone.

Moriko paused for a second in her hammering. She then continued.

"Not today guys." She said.

"Come on Moriko you never spend time with us anymore." Tenten said.

Moriko looked up and caught Neji's eyes and then quickly looked to Tenten.

She has loved Neji since they had joined the academy. It hasn't changed and in her opinion it probably won't for a very long time, if ever. It's just that she doesn't feel good enough since she lost her hand.

Tenten let out a giggle.

Moriko then blushed realizing she probably had black smudges on her face because of the coal forge.

Moriko put down her tools and took off her gloves leaving the unfinished sword where it is. She reached over to the table on her left and grabbed a towel to wipe her face.

In this time that she was doing that tenten looked at her best friend's metal hand. It looked exactly like her real one. How she did it, Tenten had no idea. But she knew it took up very little chakra to do it. They never see her without it since her and her father developed it.

Moriko lowered the towel.

"Give me five minutes to wash up and change." She said.

Tenten nodded at her friend and the guys also agreed.

When Moriko went upstairs, she showered and changed clothes. She put on black tights, black boots, and a purple shirt. She put a black glove on her metal hand. The glove is very similar to Sakura's.

She ran back down stairs where her friends awaited her.

She told her father she would be back soon and left with her old team mates.

They went to to sushi restaurant where the three other teams were eating. When they walked in everyone was either talking or eating.

She looked towards Sakura and Naruto. She smacked him in the back of the head for saying something stupid. His face went straight into his food. Sakura's face then had a look on it that said 'Oops.'

She looked towards Hinata's team. Hinata was her best friend just like Tenten. Moriko got along with Kiba. But Shino just straight up creeps her out.

Lastly is Shikamaru's team. She's not really close with any of them. Choji gets on her nerves but she can tolerate him. Shikamaru is decent. But she does NOT get along with Ino. All she does is obsess over Sasuke. Yes, Sakura does to but she is actually nice to her and doesn't make fun of her hand like Ino does.

"Come on sit down Moriko! Let's get food!" Lee said as he sat down.

Shortly after their food was brought to them.

Moriko sat in between Tenten and Neji. She looked to her right to see Neji eating.

She looked back to her own food. Would Neji ever notice her? If she thought about it, their situation is a lot like Naruto and Hinata's. Hinata loves him but Naruto doesn't see it.

Hinata looked up at Moriko.

"Hey Moriko, since your out of your fathers shop for a little while would it be okay if you came by? I miss hanging out with you." Hinata asked quietly.

Moriko looked up at her and smiled.

"No problem." She said.

Hinata nodded.

Neji watched the two as their conversation continued.

Him and Moriko use to be so close. But the last two years they've drifted apart. They use to be almost best friends. In all honesty, he cared for her more than a friend or a teammate should.

'Why does she continue to close herself off to me?' He wondered.


	2. Chapter 2

2

I only own Moriko Kinzoku.

Safe and sound

* * *

Moriko sat next to Neji and Tenten still eating when her father burst into the doors of the restaurant.

He was not a ninja nor was her mother.

All eyes turned to him.

Moriko quickly stood.

"Father what is it?!" She asked with concern.

"Your brother. Hidou has taken him." He said.

Moriko quickly paid for her food and turned back to her father.

"Lead the way father." Moriko said as they ran out the door.

Her brother was ten years old and still in the academy. He didn't even have his own team yet!

Team Gai quickly paid for theirs as well and followed after their old team member.

Hinata was very worried about her best friend and her family.

When Moriko made it back to their home which was also the shop. It was on fire and her father quickly went to comfort her mother.

She was crying into her fathers chest.

Moriko stopped when she saw her burning home. Her brother. Her ten year old brother was taken by the bastard that took her hand.

Moriko clenched her fists.

Tsunade was also trying to comfort her parents.

Tsunade looked towards Moriko.

She nodded at Tsunade pretty much telling her that she was going after her brother. She would take revenge on the bastard that took her brother and hand.

"Moriko!" She heard Tenten yell.

Moriko did not respond as she braided her hair and walked over to Tsunade.

When she made it to her. Tsunade spoke as an ANBU appeared out of nowhere with a black headband.

"Go with your old team to bring back your brother." She said sadly.

"I hold no interest In keeping this. I'm only a ninja while I save my brother." She said as she tied the headband around her waist.

Tsunade nodded.

"I understand." Tsunade said.

Moriko jumped through the trees towards the land of rivers with her old team.

Even Gai sensei was with them.

Moriko led the way.

"Moriko?" Lee looked at her concerned.

She looked at Lee and then straight forward again.

She let her tears fall. "The sooner I bring my brother back the better. I should've finished that bastard when I had the chance." She said.

Neji was silent as he followed after her. He had never seen her so sad yet angry at the same time.

When they hit the border the team stopped in the trees.

Gai looked to Neji.

"Neji can you see Hidou or Katsuo anywhere?" Gai asked.

Neji remembered Hidou. He and his friends were fifteen when they last saw him and they couldn't take him down. Katsuo also looked up to Neji. So he had to be there for him as well.

Neji activated his Byakugan.

Neji looked around "What the?"

Moriko looks at Neji.

"Neji what is it?" She asked.

"He seems to be waiting on us with some thirty men. Your brother is no where in sight." Neji said.

"That bastard!" Moriko was definitely pissed.

"What do we do?" Tenten asked.

"I'll go. You all stay behind." She said.

"No, last time we split up like that you lost a hand." Neji said with a glare towards Moriko.

She rolled her eyes.

"Then let's go." Moriko said.

The team knew there was no other way.

They all jumped through the trees until the landed on the ground. They were now face to face with Hidou and his men in a clearing in the woods.

"Where is my brother?" Moriko asked.

Hidou smirked. He had black hair and blue eyes. He was part of a lightning clan in a small village in the middle of nowhere. He was a rogue and very powerful.

"I like the new hand. It also suits the scar next to your eye." He said.

"Where is my brother Hidou? I won't ask again." She warned.

Hiduo scoffed with a smirk. "You think you scare me? Last time I seen you I had my men torture you. And all because you didn't want you teammate there to be taken." Hidou said pointing at Tenten.

Tenten looked down ashamed. She felt like it was her fault.

"I would do it again and again if I had to. I don't regret losing my hand in order to protect a friend. It's one thing coming after me. But when you mess with my family and friends that's a whole different story." She said.

Hidou smirked. "This time you might have to lose the other for your brother." He said.

Moriko did some hand signs. A sword came out of her right palm of her hand.

"I'll get my brother out while keeping my hand. This time you'll die at my hands." She said as she ran forward towards Hidou.

Her old team followed.

Hidou sent his men at them. Her friends went to fight through the men to get to Hidou.

The first ninja came at Moriko with a sword in hand.

Moriko also had her sword ready.

They clashed blades as she quickly cut him down.

Moriko drew the sword back into the palm of her hand as another man came at her.

She did some hand signs and her finger nails extended on her right hand going through the bastard that came up on her. They quickly went back down to the usual size.

Another came up behind her and got her in a head lock.

Neji came up behind the guy that had Moriko and quickly used his eight trigram sixty four palms as Moriko got out of the way.

"Are you alright?" He asked offering her a hand to help her up.

Neji noticed her blush as she took his hand with her metal one.

She nodded. "Thanks."

Another came at them both.

Moriko swung her metal fist and punch the guy in the face. She probably cracked his skull.

Hidou was then in sight. She ran at him but when she got in front of him ready to attack. Her brother was being held hostage by two other ninja in front of him.

She froze where she stood when her brother suddenly appeared.

"I was told by the Akatsuki that if I provide them with a Kinzoku clan member I would get paid. They need one on their team. I figured you or your brother would be a perfect choice. They chose me because I have dealt with you before." Hidou said.

Moriko clenched her fists. It was either her or her brother that would get turned over to work with the Akatsuki.

She had to think of something. She couldn't let this bastard take her brother.

"What will you do?" The bastard asked.

She looked at Hidou.

"Send my brother over. I'll go with you." Moriko said she withdrew all metal back into her including her metal hand.

"Moriko you'll be known as rogue! You can't do this!" Tenten said.

Moriko looked back at Tenten. "I'll never turn my back on a comrade. Especially if it's my baby brother." She said as she walked forward.

Hidou let Katsuo go as he ran to hug his sister.

She kneeled in front of her brother to do this.

Gai walked up behind the two.

"Take care if everyone." She said to her brother as she stood.

She nodded at Gai then looked back at Neji then turned away.

As she started to walk towards Hidou, Katsuo tried to stop her but Gai held him back.

"Sister no!" He cried.

He had tears going down his face as he tried to get Gai to let him go.

Moriko walked forward and noticed they had killed all of his men but the three around him.

When Moriko stood before them she made her move.

Her metal hand came from her wrist as she stabbed the one on her left with it. A sword came from her palm on her right hand and Neji was already taking out the third knowing full well what she was planning when she looked back at him.

Moriko moved quickly and stabbed Hidou in the chest.

Hidou and his men didn't even know what hit them

'Why wasn't it this easy the first time?' She thought.


End file.
